What is Athlete Ally?
Athlete Ally is a nonprofit resource to encourage athletes
of all sport to respect each other regardless of perceived or actual sexual
orientation, gender identity or gender expression, and to lead others in doing
the same. Athlete Ally was founded by
Hudson Taylor in January 2011. Hudson
was a student athlete at the University of Maryland where he received slander
for being a wrestler and studying theater.
He noticed there were differences between the two environments and that
the comments and actions that were going on was not right. That was when he decided to wear an LGBT
equality sticker from the Human Rights Campaign on his wrestling headgear. This was a bold statement that encountered
negativity from his peers but received positive attention from the media. This inspired him that something needed to be
done and he found this nonprofit organization, with the drive of educating
people on these issues. Since then,
there are athlete ally’s who are those people, regardless of sexual orientation
and preference who want to take a stand against homophobia and trans phobia in
sports. Some Professional athletes who
have joined Athlete Ally include Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets), Brendon
Ayanbadejo(Baltimore Ravens), Chris Kluwe(Minnesota Vikings) and Scott
Fujita(Cleveland Browns). This is a great start to the Athlete Ally movement
and hopefully we will see some more changes as time goes on!
Written by: Janelle Campbell
By: Taylor Cook
ReplyDeleteI think that the Athlete Ally organization is a great thing. It allows people to know that it is ok to be different and that no person should be persecuted against for what they believe in or the way that they live. I recently saw an article talking about how four or five gay players were thinking about coming out at the same time together so that there will not be focus on just one of them, but all of them as a whole. I personally think it will be good for the NFL because it will allow us to see how certain players cope with having a gay teammate. I know that I personally would not care. That is a personal choice and does not mean in any way that I have to feel the same feelings that they do. They are still a teammate and in my opinion a teammate is like a family member. It is important to stand up for them and to protect them when you go into battle. Organizations like Athlete Ally are allowing gay athletes to feel comfortable in their own skin and not be ashamed of who they are and to me that is truly a great thing!
I really think what Hudson Taylor started was really amazing. Just like we talked about in class on how in the past people were really skeptical and against gay players, I think that today’s society has come a long way in changing that but is still nowhere near perfect. I personally don’t have anything against gay players and treat them as a normal teammate or competitor. Much like many other people, I feel that Hudson Taylor was one of the key players in shaping society’s views on gay people with his athlete ally organization. When I read about how he wore a LGBT equality sticker on his wrestling helmet I thought this was a really smart move and I would have supported him all the way. However, it makes me kind of mad that his own peers would criticize him about wearing the sticker and they should have just kept their mouths shut instead. I applaud Hudson for standing up for something he truly believed in no matter what others thought or felt. Finally, now that some professional sports stars have joined the cause, I think it’s really bringing light on this issue and I feel it can only get better from here. I wish that more professional athletes would come out and support this organization and help it grow even more.
ReplyDeleteBy Josh Gibson
It is ridiculous that we live in a society that makes fun of you for participating in wrestling and theater. A person should be able to take part in whatever they like without being judged. Therefore, it is understandable to me that Hudson Taylor founded Athlete Ally. Had anybody else other than Taylor endured the criticism he faced in college, Athlete Ally may not even exist today. Taylor was not afraid to stand up for what he believed in and so he essentially led the charge to fight against disrespect in the world of sports. Over time I would not be surprised to see a lot more athletes join in the movement. Because a lot of high profile athletes have already joined the organization I think this will only help to encourage other powerful sports figures to support the movement as well. The organization has only been around for two years so who knows what will happen just a few more years from now.
ReplyDeleteBy David Shelmon
Hey Janelle, I like it that people take the initiative to make a change for what they believe in. This nonprofit resource will definitely make a change in the sports world in the future. Somebody has to make a move to help make a difference. It is really unfair to be discriminated because of one’s sexual orientation. I have special respect to the professional athletes who joined Athlete Ally to take a stand against homophobia and trans phobia in sports. I really believe that Athlete Ally will make a huge impact in the sports industry and more athletes will come out. We must all come back to the realization that athletes that are playing in professional leagues deserved it. They worked hard to be where they are today and they should be judged base on their skills instead of other factors.
ReplyDelete-Marcus Kok
Hey! At first, I havent even heard of an athlete ally until we discussed about it in class. In agreement to Josh, I also feel as though Hudson Taylor was extremely brave and amazing for standing up for what he believed in. Unfortunately today, people are still discriminated against their race, their religious beliefs, as well as their sexual orientation. I feel like Athlete Ally is the perfect tool to help support and stand against discrimination against homophobia. More athletes should come together and realize that everybody still needs to be treated the same way, regardless of their sexual orientation.
ReplyDelete~Angel Akinkuoye
I had no idea that is how Athlete Ally was founded and that is a very courageous act from one individual. It would be tough dealing with that slander and negativity from your own wrestling teammates but he handled it really well. I am a big Cleveland Browns fan so I knew about Scott Fujita being an Athlete Ally but it’s great to see others getting on board too. We can only hope the organization continues to expand and that harassment from things like sexual orientation, gender, and race continue to decline.
ReplyDeleteBy: Matt Goryance
By: Anthony Alford
ReplyDeleteHey this was a great article and it shows that people are willing to speak out for people who may or may not be accepted because of their sexual orientation. This organization has allowed people to change their views on gays to a more positive reception. The key for this movement to be successful is awareness. The more athletes and promotion this and other organizations get, players and fans will become more accepting to gay athletes.
This is exactly the steps that need to be taken before athletes become ok with gay people being in their locker room. It is unfortunate that it has to come to a nonprofit group for athletes to realize it is not that big of a deal, but education is the key to change. Athlete Ally is a great tool to educate athletes to realize that it is not that big of a deal for your teammate to be gay. I am anxious to see if those four NFL players are going to come out or not. Although it is a very important moment in history, I do not think it is comparable to Jackie Robinson.
ReplyDelete-Taylor Redd
It took a lot of courage for Hudson Taylor to be the one to stand up for what he believed in. It'd be difficult to subject yourself to judgement by your peers just to raise awareness for something you see to be an issue in the world. Taylor knew he'd spark some controversy, but he did it anyways - which is admirable. I agree with their cause - I believe that if a player can play, he or she can play. I think our society is becoming more and more accepting of homosexuals, which I think will translate sooner or later into the sports world being more accepting of them. It's only a matter of time until there is true equality in the sports world, and I think Athlete Ally could be the catalyst that the LGBT community has been searching for.
ReplyDeleteBy Micah Stein
By: Taylor Brown
ReplyDeleteThis is a great entry and I completely agree with it. Athlete Ally is a fantastic organization and is exactly what we need in sports to try and end the widespread homophobia that we see throughout sports today. It is great that athletes like Kenneth Faried are standing up and being leaders in this organization because it makes people listen and appreciate what is being said. Soon, I'm sure that a gay star will come out and it will completely change sports. It won't seem socially unacceptable to be a gay in sports. That's why I think that Athlete Ally is such a good tool and a good organization to have. It represents a group of people who are discriminated that shouldn't be, and is a great organization. This organization is helping make steps towards ending discrimination against gays, and hopefully one day will help end it.